San Antonio Hams

W4CTH @ Texas Water Safari

We just got the heads up about Joe Thompson W4CTH passing away today. Joe had a fatal heart attack at home around 2am this morning (7/7/2012). His wife & daughter were home at the time it happened.

W4CTH @ July 4th Parade

Joe was a active member of Hill Country REACT, Chaparral Amateur Radio Club (Seguin), and was the ARES EC for the Guadalupe County ARES group.Joe had  helped this year with Heart of the Hills Horse event in March, Net Control for the San Antonio Tour de Cure in May, the Luling Crossing Checkpoint for the Texas Water Safari in June, and the Canyon Lake 4th of July Parade this week.

From Louis N5STX –  His full name was Needham Joe Thompson!  Joe was EC for Guadalupe County ARES, Member of Hill Country REACT, Chaparral Amateur Radio Club, active with Bexar County ARES, RACES and MARS (AAR6TO < I believe)!  I believe he may have been the the County Liason Officer with RACES in Guadalupe County. Very active with the various ultra-marathons, bike events and the AERC Heart of the Hills event in Bandera.

Unknown to many, Joe was a retired Doctor, when on many of his traveled, still practiced/volunteered at a clinic in South Carolina and I believe one in Florida! <need to confirm this – I do remember him talking about this! Joe live for his grand children, frequently taking them to events around the country.

Service Information
Mass will be held on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 1:30p.m.
St James Catholic Church
510 S. Camp St
Seguin, TX  78155

More details will be posted here as made available.  Our thanks to Louis K5STX for providing us with the notice a few hours ago.

It is with a sad and heavy heart, that I have the task to notify the Ham Community, that Joe Thompson – W4CTH became a silent key at 02:00 hrs the 7th of July 2012.

Joe was at home with his wife Mary Kay at the time of his passing!  His daughter was also on the property near their home!

Details regarding services will be passed to the community as they are made available!

Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary Kay, family and friends!

Dr Larry Becker W5VEO

Dr. Larry Becker W5VEO, a well known & active member of Kendall Amateur Radio Socity (KARS), was hit and killed Thursday night (6/28/2012) while riding his bicycle on the access road of Interstate 10 in Kendall County.  Larry was 69 years old, a ham operator & a dermatologist with offices in Boerne and San Antonio.He had last been spotted riding his bicycle along the IH-10 access road less than an hour before the accident by another KARS member, who said Larry had been wearing his trademark bright yellow jersey and a helmet. It was dry and still daylight at the time Larry was hit by the truck.

Around 7:15 p.m. on 06/28/2012, Dr. Larry Becker was struck by an unknown vehicle that fled the scene in the 39000 block of west-bound Interstate 10, a relative confirmed. A Department of Public Safety official said the impact of the crash threw Becker into a ditch and left his bike, a carbon fiber racing-style bicycle, in pieces. Officers at the scene said Becker had died from his injuries.

His wife, Dorothy made public pleas via the news media for information about the hit & run accident, asking for any witnesses or the person driving the vehicle to step forward.  The Kendall County Crime Stoppers put a hefty reward out for info leading the arrest & conviction of the guilty person or persons.

On Monday, July 2nd, after the word went out today about a $25,000 reward going out by Kendall County Crime Stoppers for info//capture of the person who ran down, killed, and hit&run Doc Larry W5VEO Becker, Col MedicalCorps US Army, at 7pm last Thurs late-afternoon — the perp decided to turn himself in.  Hams from KARS had been scouting out the area, looking for pickup trucks or other vehicles with a missing radio antenna (AM/FM was found on the scene) and damage to the right front / side of the vehicle.

Richard reports the following details:

1.)  There will be a viewing at David Vaughn’s Funeral Home, here in Boerne, 319 East San Antonio St., on Monday 9 July from 6-8pm. 2.)  The Funeral Service at 10:30am on Tue 10 July at First Baptist Church is still the same.  There will be a lunch at the church afterwards. 3.)   But, Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery has made room to receive Larry with Military Honors at 2:30pm on Tuesday 10 July 2012.

Our thanks to Richard McDaniel K4RMC & other KARS members for keeping us informed.

Richard Jay Kilman, K5BBI, born Oct. 21, 1952 in Fredericksburg, passed away March 19, 2012, in San Antonio, surrounded by a host of family and an enormous amount of love. A compassionate man, he was the most awesome father, grandfather, brother and friend to multitudes of people all around the globe.

Rich was an active member, and former officer,  of the KARS (Kendall Amateur Radio Society) in Boerne, Texas.

Richard was the father of Ryan Birks-Kilman and wife Laurel of Kissimmee, Fla.; Kelly Kilman Anderson, and Katy Kilman of San Antonio. He was the grandfather to Alison, Erin, Katie, Cassidy, Lily and Sarah of Kissimmee, Fla; Mikayla, Kirstin, Rogan and Evelyn of San Antonio. He is also survived by sisters Mary Martin and Melanie Roller and husband Frank of Pipe Creek; and brother Ronald Kilman of Austin. He is also survived by five nieces and four nephews.

Hello, I am reaching out to the HAM community for help.

My grandfather, George R. Matthews, was a HAM in San Antonio.  He has been silent key since the late 1980’s.  I have recently been trying to find out what his call sign was. 

I live in North Carolina and no one around here has any log books with his call sign information in it.  I have asked my mother, but she can’t remember.  I have no documents with his call sign information on it and only one picture of him in his shack.  That picture does not show his call sign either. 

He owned and operated Matthews Electronics at San Antonio International Airport up until he passed away.  I was hoping that maybe someone in the San Antonio Ham radio community may have information about my grandfather’s call sign.  Any help would be very appreciated.

Thank you

Bobby Bridgers, KK4ARX
kk4arx@gmail.com

photo courtesy of ARRL.org website

The holder of one of the best-known US Amateur Radio call signs, Frederick (Fred) Maia, W5YI, died of cancer Wednesday, March 28. He was 76 and was a resident of Arlington, Texas.

Fred was a leading Amateur Radio journalist for nearly 35 years and a pioneer of the volunteer examining program adopted by the FCC in 1984.

Maia published “The W5YI Report,” dubbed “America’s Oldest Ham Radio Newsletter,” from 1978 to 2003, and has been a CQ contributing editor since 1985. His regulatory affairs column, first titled “Ticket Talk,” then “Washington Readout,” offered news and perspective on FCC Regulations and ITU actions. His final column will appear in the May 2012 issue of CQ.

After the FCC adopted volunteer examining for all levels of Amateur Radio licensing in 1984, Fred became the first Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) appointed by the FCC. Fred subsequently founded The W5YI Group in 1986 to develop, publish and sell amateur and commercial radio license study materials. In the realm of FCC commercial radio licensing, Fred formed National Radio Examiners to provide examination services.

Maia served as President of the W5YI-VEC until his retirement in October of 2000 when he sold The W5YI Group study material products to Master Publishing, Inc. The retail operations were purchased by General Manager Larry Pollock, NB5X, newly appointed President of the W5YI-VEC and National Radio Examiners organizations. Maia continued writing “The W5YI Report” newsletter until July 2003

Read the full story here on ARRL.org.

Earlier today (10/3) we received confirmation from persons close to the family of Tex Kennedy N5TX, that he had passed away this morning at the age of 87.   Tex was well known in the ham radio & commercial radio community.  Kennedy Communications over on Rigsby Road, was a tremendous support to the REACT Teams since the mid 80’s, supplying REACT with multiple GMRS Repeater sites & equipment on a very affordable site lease.  Tex also operated KComm The Ham Store, and BK Tower company.

Most recently in 2010, he allowed Hill Country REACT to change out their GMRS 462.600 repeater up near Startzville, for an Amateur Radio repeater on 445.500 mhz, which is now linked by IRLP to other area repeaters in Hays/ Caldwell Counties via the “Devils Backbone”  (where do they come up with these names?).  Kennedy Communications was sold back in the early 2000’s (time?), but first they arranged for 99 year leases to be signed on behalf of REACT to preserve our GMRS repeater sites.   Only the original 462.675 site in NE San Antonio is still on the air, due to the above mentioned change to the 462.600 site.

As we find out more details regarding funeral arrangements, etc, we will be posting them here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Morris E. Sullivan KG5CP went to be with the Lord on September 4, 2011 in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on March 14, 1931 in Harlingen, Texas to Morris D. Sullivan and Rosa Mae Hack Sullivan.

Mr. Sullivan served in the Korean War with the U.S. Marine Corps and in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Air Force.

He was a volunteer firefighter for the N.W. San Antonio Volunteer Fire Dept. and was also involved with Rainfall Net on HAM Radio, which reported rainfall to the National Weather Service. He was an accomplished woodworker and avid gardener. He was a computer enthusiast, having technical aptitudes and capabilities to troubleshoot the most difficult of problems.

Mr. Sullivan loved dogs, and held a special place in his heart for his canine friends. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nellie Selk Sullivan; daughters, Debbie Spencer (Walter), Sue Hosack (Curtis), Cathy Letson (Tony), Brenda Sullivan (Larry), Sherrie Sullivan (Chris); son, Wayne Sullivan (Renee); 8 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren.

SERVICES A Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 2:00PM at Mission Burial Park North, 20900 IH-10 West, San Antonio, Texas 78257, with military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society , 8115 Datapoint, San Antonio, Texas 78229.

Myrtle Elizabeth Kyle Cole WD5JFF went to be with the Lord on July 2, 2011. She is proceeded in death by father Charles A. Kyle, mother Myrtle E. Ward Kyle, husband James O. Cole, Sr. , and brother Douglas E. Kyle, Sr. She is survived by son James O. Cole Jr. and grandson Aaron M. Cole. Charles Cole, Roger Cole, Carol Bierschle and families. Louise Kyle and her children Douglas. Jr., M.D., daughters Kim and Kelli and their families.

Her family moved from Shreveport, La. to Brownwood Texas shortly after birth and then to San Antonio in 1951 where she married James Cole in 1954. Together they started two businesses, House of TV then later Cole’s until the end of 1994.

She was blessed with a voice that entertained many that allowed her to travel with Special Services, Radio & TV Programs, Church Choirs, Modeling and doing USOs Shows from 1933 to 1964. Before, during and after WWII.

She was an active Amateur Radio Operator (WD5JFF)  and greatly enjoyed the many friends and conversations the hobby brought to her through the years, most recently on the nightly Rainfall Net on the 146.94 repeater. She was a 50+ years Member of Texas #35 O.E.S. (Order of the Eastern Stars).

Published in Express-News on July 12, 2011

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, particularly via e-mail but I wanted to make sure word to as many of you San Antonio hams as I could find.

My grandfather, Hermann Haertel passed away Wednesday morning (May 25, 2011).

His obituary and details for the memorial service can be found at
http://www.legacy.com/link.asp?i=ls000151295157

Please pass along the news.

Take care,

Michael Haertel